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They’re police officers who have been placed on desk duty or suspended with or without pay pending an investigation, often because of a complaint filed against them for their actions on or off duty.

Whether an officer gets assigned to a “desk” job temporarily that limits his or her interaction with the public or awaits the results of an investigation at home varies based on the details of each case and the police department’s specific policy. This decision is often left to the discretion of the police chief.

The size of the “squad” — named for the fact that many officers on this type of administrative status have their weapons taken away — changes often in each police department and its “membership” isn’t permanent, although some “members” join more than once during their careers.

This is the case for Bridgeport police officer Steven Figueroa, who joined the so-called squad this year when he was placed on desk duty after his arrest in late June in Shelton for several charges related to a domestic violence complaint. He was placed on administrative leave without pay weeks later when an additional charge of first-degree sexual assault, a felony, was added.

He is one of five Bridgeport Police Department officers currently on administrative status. That number isn’t alarming, said Sgt. Chuck Paris, president of the Bridgeport police union, noting that the five represent a small fraction of the 369 active members of the Bridgeport police ranks.

“I’ve seen that amount of people (on administrative status) before so it’s not unusual,” Paris said. “One is obviously too many for us. But we do have now close to 400 members. At times they do go through some of this.”

In the New Haven Police Department — where the current number of sworn officers is just three below that in Bridgeport at 366 — there is one officer on administrative assignment with pay and another on administrative leave with pay, according to Ramona Davis, the administrative assistant to the police chief. But what landed those New Haven officers on administrative status is unclear.

“I don’t have the information to provide as to why these two officers are in the current status,” Davis said via email. “In addition, because their statuses are still pending, I am not in a position to comment on that.”

Hartford officials, which also has a police department of comparable size, said this information was not readily available last week.

Some smaller departments last week reported having no officers on suspension or desk duty.

In Norwalk, a department roughly half the size with 176 officers, Police Lt. Terry Blake said there are no officers currently on administrative status. Fairfield also reported none of the department’s 108 sworn officers are on administrative status at the moment, according to Fairfield Police Capt. Robert Kalamaras.

Guidelines for how to handle this type of disciplinary action varies in Connecticut. Each police department has its own policy to follow when it comes to whether an officer should be put on desk duty or on leave.

“There’s not really a statewide mandate that would oversee that,” Paris said, adding that Bridgeport’s policy is outlined in its union contract.

In Figueroa’s case, Police Chief Armando Perez placed him on administrative, or desk, duty after his June 29 arrest by Shelton police on charges of third-degree assault, unlawful restraint, threatening and risk of injury to a child.

Although the assault and restraint charges are misdemeanors, the risk of injury charge is a felony.

The Bridgeport police union’s contract states, “Any such immediate suspension without pay may only be imposed and continued in cases where the officer has been arrested for felony charges, or is unavailable for duty because of incarceration; or because of institutionalization in connection with actions that would constitute a felony.”

Although Figueroa’s guns were taken because of his specific charges, Paris said an officer does not always have to turn over their department-issue weapon just because they’re on administrative status. “It usually depends on the type of charges or what the issue might be,” Paris said.

The city did not respond to questions about how the decision was made to suspend Figueroa without pay after his second arrest on a felony charge and not the first arrest on a felony charge weeks earlier.

As in many departments, in Bridgeport it’s up to the chief, or acting chief, to make the decision.

“If it rises to a level of a felony, then the chief has other options,” Paris said.

Suspending someone without pay is not a decision made lightly because it means there must be a hearing within 10 days of the officer receiving their suspension without pay, he added. That hearing, Paris said, happens before the chief and typically a representative from labor relations or an attorney for the city.

According to city spokeswoman Rowena White, Figueroa’s OIA interview with the officer was on Aug. 5. He signed his statement Aug. 7.

OIA submitted a report to the police chief and the union, White said. From there, the report is provided to the city attorneys and to the union. The officer is notified of the Loudermill hearing, which in Figueroa’s case is set for next week.

As for four others in the Bridgeport Police Department also on administrative status, the city did not respond to questions regarding how long they had been on that status or what landed them there, despite repeated requests.

The city did, however, provide the names of the officers and their current assignments.

Bridgeport Police Officer Marco Brit has been suspended with pay. Officer John Carrano has been on desk duty, working in the department’s property room. And officer Paul Cari is on desk duty, working in the Fusion Center.

In the case of the fourth officer, Police Sgt. Paul Scillia, it’s unclear if his current administrative duty status, which has him working in the department’s auxiliary services, is related to the same circumstances that led to his being placed on paid leave back in October 2017.

I work in the Connecticut Post newsroom in Bridgeport, mainly covering breaking news as it's happening for Hearst Connecticut Media. For updates, photos and videos from the scene of breaking news events, follow me on Twitter @Tara_O'Neill_. Send breaking news tips to toneill@hearstmediact.com or by calling 203-330-6257.

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